I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.

One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put on a
stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just spent
almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like lustre
but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there must
be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of polishing
compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3 more
wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is slower
than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).

The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort of
baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a coating
with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper colored
coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
buffing with polishing compound.

I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Dan

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.

One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put on a
stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just spent
almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like lustre
but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there must
be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of polishing
compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3 more
wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is slower
than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).

The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort of
baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a coating
with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper colored
coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
buffing with polishing compound.

I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

It sounds like you're using traditional cutting and buffing compounds. For
stainless, or for any steel, for that matter, I use Dico stainless steel
polish and it's probably three times faster than any general purpose
compounds I've ever used. It leaves a great finish, too.

--
Ed Huntress

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:16:28 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
:I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
: don't look so hot.
:
: One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put on a
: stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just spent
: almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
: proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like lustre
: but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there must
: be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of polishing
: compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
: different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3 more
: wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is slower
: than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).
:
: The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort of
: baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a coating
: with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper colored
: coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
: buffing with polishing compound.
:
: I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
: coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
: (that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
: in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
: occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.
:
: Thanks for any tips.
:
:It sounds like you're using traditional cutting and buffing compounds. For
:stainless, or for any steel, for that matter, I use Dico stainless steel
olish and it's probably three times faster than any general purpose
:compounds I've ever used. It leaves a great finish, too.

Thanks. Where do you get that stuff? B&M, online?




Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:40:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
Dan_Musicant quickly quoth:

I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.
--snip--
I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Run down to your local Wally World and pick up a 4 oz. tube of MAAS
Metal Polish for $3 and change. I just tried a bit on my stainless
steel sink and it amazed me in ten seconds flat. If not, try the DICO
(which Ed keeps forgetting to tell us where he sources.)
Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used till they are seasoned.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:16:28 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
:I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
: don't look so hot.
:
: One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put on
a
: stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just
spent
: almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
: proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like lustre
: but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there must
: be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of polishing
: compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
: different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3 more
: wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is slower
: than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).
:
: The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort of
: baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a coating
: with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper colored
: coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
: buffing with polishing compound.
:
: I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
: coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
: (that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
: in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at
least
: occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.
:
: Thanks for any tips.
:
:It sounds like you're using traditional cutting and buffing compounds.
For
:stainless, or for any steel, for that matter, I use Dico stainless steel
olish and it's probably three times faster than any general purpose
:compounds I've ever used. It leaves a great finish, too.

Thanks. Where do you get that stuff? B&M, online?

I got mine from a mill supply in Union, NJ, but I see it's available from
many places online. Search on Dico buffing rather than Dico polish, because
there apparently is some translation software called Dico that translates
from Polish. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:40:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
Dan_Musicant quickly quoth:

I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.
--snip--
I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Run down to your local Wally World and pick up a 4 oz. tube of MAAS
Metal Polish for $3 and change. I just tried a bit on my stainless
steel sink and it amazed me in ten seconds flat. If not, try the DICO
(which Ed keeps forgetting to tell us where he sources.)

Force Machinery, Union, NJ. It's a long ride for you. g They're well known
on the commercial side of the business. I'm surprised you haven't seen them
around.

I see that it's available online. Check out Dico's site while you're at it.
They have some tips that look useful.

--
Ed Huntress

What about electro-polishing?

j/b

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.

One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put on a
stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just spent
almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like lustre
but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there must
be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of polishing
compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3 more
wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is slower
than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).

The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort of
baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a coating
with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper colored
coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
buffing with polishing compound.

I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Dan

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:45:14 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:16:28 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: wrote:
:
: :
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: :I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
: : don't look so hot.
: :
: : One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put on
: a
: : stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just
: spent
: : almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
: : proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like lustre
: : but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there must
: : be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of polishing
: : compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
: : different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3 more
: : wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is slower
: : than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).
: :
: : The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort of
: : baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a coating
: : with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper colored
: : coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
: : buffing with polishing compound.
: :
: : I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
: : coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
: : (that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
: : in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at
: least
: : occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.
: :
: : Thanks for any tips.
: :
: :It sounds like you're using traditional cutting and buffing compounds.
: For
: :stainless, or for any steel, for that matter, I use Dico stainless steel
: olish and it's probably three times faster than any general purpose
: :compounds I've ever used. It leaves a great finish, too.
:
: Thanks. Where do you get that stuff? B&M, online?
:
:I got mine from a mill supply in Union, NJ, but I see it's available from
:many places online. Search on Dico buffing rather than Dico polish, because
:there apparently is some translation software called Dico that translates
:from Polish. d8-)

Thanks. A mill supply... I bet I could find such a thing here (Berkeley,
CA) if I'm industrious. I presume you use this stuff with a buffing
wheel? I should probably get another and not try to reuse the one I used
today. It was virgin this morning, but is now impregnated with brown
polishing compound.

Dan

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:34:13 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

:On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:40:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
an_Musicant quickly quoth:
:
:I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
:don't look so hot.
:--snip--
:I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
:coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
:(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
:in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
:occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.
:
:Thanks for any tips.
:
:Run down to your local Wally World and pick up a 4 oz. tube of MAAS
:Metal Polish for $3 and change. I just tried a bit on my stainless
:steel sink and it amazed me in ten seconds flat. If not, try the DICO
which Ed keeps forgetting to tell us where he sources.)
:Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used till they are seasoned.
: -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Mmm. Wally World? Is that for real or are you being flippant and
referring to Walmart? I called two large hardware stores in the vicinity
today and asked for Dico polish but they don't stock it. I could call
again and ask for MAAS, though. I figure I'll need another buffing wheel
for my grinder. My homemade grinder has an extra shaft coming out the
other side of the motor, which I reserve for things like buffing wheels,
wire brush wheels and believe it or not, a homemade table saw.

Dan

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:45:14 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:16:28 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: wrote:
:
: :
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: :I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
: : don't look so hot.
: :
: : One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put
on
: a
: : stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just
: spent
: : almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
: : proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like
lustre
: : but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there
must
: : be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of
polishing
: : compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
: : different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3
more
: : wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is
slower
: : than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).
: :
: : The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort
of
: : baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a
coating
: : with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper
colored
: : coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
: : buffing with polishing compound.
: :
: : I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
: : coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice
boiler
: : (that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the
bottom
: : in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at
: least
: : occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.
: :
: : Thanks for any tips.
: :
: :It sounds like you're using traditional cutting and buffing compounds.
: For
: :stainless, or for any steel, for that matter, I use Dico stainless
steel
: olish and it's probably three times faster than any general purpose
: :compounds I've ever used. It leaves a great finish, too.
:
: Thanks. Where do you get that stuff? B&M, online?
:
:I got mine from a mill supply in Union, NJ, but I see it's available from
:many places online. Search on Dico buffing rather than Dico polish,
because
:there apparently is some translation software called Dico that translates
:from Polish. d8-)

Thanks. A mill supply... I bet I could find such a thing here (Berkeley,
CA) if I'm industrious.

A mill supply is an old name for a machine-shop supply store. Try a big, old
hardware store if you have such a thing. I used to get Dico compounds at an
old hardware store in downtown Princeton, NJ, but that store, and most like
it, are gone the way of the dodo. They may even have it at Home Depot. I've
never looked. If you don't find it easily it's probably easier to order it
online. Machine-shop supply stores are pretty rare except in industrial
areas.

I presume you use this stuff with a buffing
wheel?

Yes. It's a waxy-type compound made for use on buffing wheels. I use it on
regular muslin wheels on my bench grinder and on little bobs on my die
grinder and my Dremel. I also use it for stropping knife blades and plane
irons, but that's another story.

I should probably get another and not try to reuse the one I used
today. It was virgin this morning, but is now impregnated with brown
polishing compound.

In general, you can charge a wheel with a coarser compound, or with a
more-aggressive compound of equal coarseness. Just not the other way around,
because the coarser or more-aggressive compound will remain on the wheel. If
the brown polishing compound was rouge, no problem, just don't use it for
rouge again. If it was brown tripoli, you're probably still OK to use it
with Dico stainless polish.

There is a way to strip almost all of the old compound off a wheel but I
don't discuss it in public, for the same reason I don't discuss lighting
charcoal fires with gasoline. d8-) It's a good way to put an eye out if you
aren't good at it.

Otherwise, yes, get a new wheel and reserve the old one for the compound you
were using. I have five or six buffing wheels that I reserve for one type of
compound each. I keep them in Ziploc bags between uses.

--
Ed Huntress

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:48:42 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:40:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
Dan_Musicant quickly quoth:

I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.
--snip--
I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Run down to your local Wally World and pick up a 4 oz. tube of MAAS
Metal Polish for $3 and change. I just tried a bit on my stainless
steel sink and it amazed me in ten seconds flat. If not, try the DICO
(which Ed keeps forgetting to tell us where he sources.)

Force Machinery, Union, NJ. It's a long ride for you. g

Joisey? Ayup, it would be. I drove through there twice (to and
from planes in Newark in '98.) You can keep it, thanks.


They're well known on the commercial side of the business. I'm surprised you haven't seen them
around.

I see that it's available online. Check out Dico's site while you're at it.
They have some tips that look useful.

They have compound sticks but no polishing cream, I see.

--
Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used till they are seasoned.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:48:42 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
. ..
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:40:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
Dan_Musicant quickly quoth:

I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.
--snip--
I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Run down to your local Wally World and pick up a 4 oz. tube of MAAS
Metal Polish for $3 and change. I just tried a bit on my stainless
steel sink and it amazed me in ten seconds flat. If not, try the DICO
(which Ed keeps forgetting to tell us where he sources.)

Force Machinery, Union, NJ. It's a long ride for you. g

Joisey? Ayup, it would be. I drove through there twice (to and
from planes in Newark in '98.) You can keep it, thanks.


They're well known on the commercial side of the business. I'm surprised
you haven't seen them
around.

I see that it's available online. Check out Dico's site while you're at
it.
They have some tips that look useful.

They have compound sticks but no polishing cream, I see.

"Polishing cream"? What's that, facial moisturizer for machinists?

--
Ed Huntress

Dan_Musicant wrote:
I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.

One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put on a
stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just spent
almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like lustre
but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there must
be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of polishing
compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3 more
wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is slower
than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).

The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort of
baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a coating
with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper colored
coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
buffing with polishing compound.

I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Dan

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

MAAS Polish then clean it once a week or so with some Bartenders Friend.
All available at Wal~Mart, near the rest of the cleansers.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:25:10 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
Dan_Musicant quickly quoth:

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:34:13 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

:On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:40:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
an_Musicant quickly quoth:
:
:I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
:don't look so hot.
:--snip--
:I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
:coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
:(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
:in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
:occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.
:
:Thanks for any tips.
:
:Run down to your local Wally World and pick up a 4 oz. tube of MAAS
:Metal Polish for $3 and change. I just tried a bit on my stainless
:steel sink and it amazed me in ten seconds flat. If not, try the DICO
which Ed keeps forgetting to tell us where he sources.)
:Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used till they are seasoned.
: -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Mmm. Wally World? Is that for real or are you being flippant and
referring to Walmart?

Yes, WalMart. (see sig)


I called two large hardware stores in the vicinity
today and asked for Dico polish but they don't stock it. I could call
again and ask for MAAS, though. I figure I'll need another buffing wheel
for my grinder. My homemade grinder has an extra shaft coming out the
other side of the motor, which I reserve for things like buffing wheels,
wire brush wheels and believe it or not, a homemade table saw.

Dico is a hard stick polish used with a wheel.
MAAS is a gel used manually with a polishing cloth.
Choose wisely, Grasshopper.

---
- Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. -
http://diversify.com Web Applications

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:30:21 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:48:42 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:40:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
Dan_Musicant quickly quoth:

I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
don't look so hot.
--snip--
I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice boiler
(that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the bottom
in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at least
occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.

Thanks for any tips.

Run down to your local Wally World and pick up a 4 oz. tube of MAAS
Metal Polish for $3 and change. I just tried a bit on my stainless
steel sink and it amazed me in ten seconds flat. If not, try the DICO
(which Ed keeps forgetting to tell us where he sources.)

Force Machinery, Union, NJ. It's a long ride for you. g

Joisey? Ayup, it would be. I drove through there twice (to and
from planes in Newark in '98.) You can keep it, thanks.


They're well known on the commercial side of the business. I'm surprised
you haven't seen them
around.

I see that it's available online. Check out Dico's site while you're at
it.
They have some tips that look useful.

They have compound sticks but no polishing cream, I see.

"Polishing cream"? What's that, facial moisturizer for machinists?

Aw, ya lazyarse machinist. Manuel, he use it by hand, senor.

I was reacting to the subject line and read "polishing", not
"buffing". YMMV shrug

--
Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used till they are seasoned.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:03:19 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:45:14 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: wrote:
:
: :
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: : On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:16:28 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: : wrote:
: :
: : :
: : :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: : .. .
: : :I have a couple of stainless steel pots that have had long usage and
: : : don't look so hot.
: : :
: : : One is an 18/10 16 oz Italian "espresso" coffee maker (that you put
: on
: : a
: : : stove burner) that's been used something like 20,000 times! I just
: : spent
: : : almost an hour buffing it with a wheel with polishing compound. It
: : : proved to me that it IS possible to bring back that mirror like
: lustre
: : : but it's just too much work to warrant the effort. I figure there
: must
: : : be ways to speed up the process. I have 4 different grades of
: polishing
: : : compound and I could theoretically start coarse and go finer with 4
: : : different wheels. However, I'd have to go out and get at least 3
: more
: : : wheels. My grinder is homemade (from a dryer motor), and so is
: slower
: : : than a regular store-bought grinder (about 1/2 the speed).
: : :
: : : The tarnish on the coffee maker is kind of copper colored, some sort
: of
: : : baked-on coating, maybe oxidation. Once in a while I wash off a
: coating
: : : with metal cleaner or Bon Ami, but this harder/tougher copper
: colored
: : : coating remains, which only seems removable (so far) by hard-nosed
: : : buffing with polishing compound.
: : :
: : : I also have a stainless steel boiler (18/8), which is one of those
: : : coffee servers you see (or saw?) in coffee shops. Makes a nice
: boiler
: : : (that's what I use it for), but is now so tarnished that on the
: bottom
: : : in places it's is downright black. I'd like to shine it up too, at
: : least
: : : occasionally, if it can be done without too much effort.
: : :
: : : Thanks for any tips.
: : :
: : :It sounds like you're using traditional cutting and buffing compounds.
: : For
: : :stainless, or for any steel, for that matter, I use Dico stainless
: steel
: : olish and it's probably three times faster than any general purpose
: : :compounds I've ever used. It leaves a great finish, too.
: :
: : Thanks. Where do you get that stuff? B&M, online?
: :
: :I got mine from a mill supply in Union, NJ, but I see it's available from
: :many places online. Search on Dico buffing rather than Dico polish,
: because
: :there apparently is some translation software called Dico that translates
: :from Polish. d8-)
:
: Thanks. A mill supply... I bet I could find such a thing here (Berkeley,
: CA) if I'm industrious.
:
:A mill supply is an old name for a machine-shop supply store. Try a big, old
:hardware store if you have such a thing. I used to get Dico compounds at an
ld hardware store in downtown Princeton, NJ, but that store, and most like
:it, are gone the way of the dodo. They may even have it at Home Depot. I've
:never looked. If you don't find it easily it's probably easier to order it
nline. Machine-shop supply stores are pretty rare except in industrial
:areas.

Thanks. Ya know, there's a machine shop I've gone into a couple of times
and there's a genius in there who has helped me out. I have a feeling he
can tell me where to get that Dico polishing compound locally. It's
actually near my closest Home Depot. I can try there but I'm not hopeful
I'll find it there. I can definitely look for more buffing wheels there,
maybe Harbor Freight too. I know they have some, don't know how good
they are, but maybe they're OK

:
: I presume you use this stuff with a buffing
: wheel?
:
:Yes. It's a waxy-type compound made for use on buffing wheels. I use it on
:regular muslin wheels on my bench grinder and on little bobs on my die
:grinder and my Dremel. I also use it for stropping knife blades and plane
:irons, but that's another story.

The 4 sticks of buffing compound I have are shaped kind of like Snickers
bars, but a little bigger, made by "Coast". I guess it's waxy. I bought
them around 25 years ago, I guess... cheap at some local store. Colors
are (coarse to fine) black, white, brown, red. Actually I can't tell the
difference between the brown and the red (partially color blind). I
think I used brown yesterday, but am not sure. It sure did a good job
but it took forever to just do a patch around 1 square inch all told.
:
: I should probably get another and not try to reuse the one I used
: today. It was virgin this morning, but is now impregnated with brown
: polishing compound.
:
:In general, you can charge a wheel with a coarser compound, or with a
:more-aggressive compound of equal coarseness. Just not the other way around,
:because the coarser or more-aggressive compound will remain on the wheel. If
:the brown polishing compound was rouge, no problem, just don't use it for
:rouge again. If it was brown tripoli, you're probably still OK to use it
:with Dico stainless polish.
:
:There is a way to strip almost all of the old compound off a wheel but I
:don't discuss it in public, for the same reason I don't discuss lighting
:charcoal fires with gasoline. d8-) It's a good way to put an eye out if you
:aren't good at it.

Guess you use a dangerously volatile solvent. I figure I'll stick with
your method below, store in plastic bags.
:
:Otherwise, yes, get a new wheel and reserve the old one for the compound you
:were using. I have five or six buffing wheels that I reserve for one type of
:compound each. I keep them in Ziploc bags between uses.


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:03:19 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

snip

:There is a way to strip almost all of the old compound off a wheel but I
:don't discuss it in public, for the same reason I don't discuss lighting
:charcoal fires with gasoline. d8-) It's a good way to put an eye out if
you
:aren't good at it.

Guess you use a dangerously volatile solvent. I figure I'll stick with
your method below, store in plastic bags.

No and yes. The method involves using a knife or a sharp chisel on the
spinning wheel. It's widely used by buffers in the plating business. Don't
do it. That sucker can flip and come right back at you. I have a big framing
chisel (called a "slick") that my great-grandfather used for timber-framing
houses. It has a two-handed handle and it's almost 3 inches wide. Unless you
have one of those, you're asking for trouble.

I don't know the MAAS polish that a couple of people here have recommended.
If it works as well as some have said here in the past, I'd give it a try.
It sounds like it might be chemical because the hard part about polishing
really bad stainless is getting through the oxide layers. Chromium oxide is
harder than a witch's heart, and it can get pretty tough on old pots and
pans. If they've been overheated, you also pick up some nasty iron oxides to
go with it. Polishing old, beat, overheated stainless can be difficult, at
least until you get down to clean metal. I've found that the Dico stainless
polish is relatively good at getting through that stuff without scratching
the steel, among the mechanical methods.

The only chemical I know of that eats it right off is hydrofluoric acid,
which is what welders use to clean stainless welds. Don't even think about
it unless your health insurance is very good. g

--
Ed Huntress

Ed Huntress wrote:

No and yes. The method involves using a knife or a sharp chisel on the
spinning wheel. It's widely used by buffers in the plating business. Don't
do it. That sucker can flip and come right back at you. I have a big framing
chisel (called a "slick") that my great-grandfather used for timber-framing
houses. It has a two-handed handle and it's almost 3 inches wide. Unless you
have one of those, you're asking for trouble.

I don't know the MAAS polish that a couple of people here have recommended.
If it works as well as some have said here in the past, I'd give it a try.
It sounds like it might be chemical because the hard part about polishing
really bad stainless is getting through the oxide layers. Chromium oxide is
harder than a witch's heart, and it can get pretty tough on old pots and
pans. If they've been overheated, you also pick up some nasty iron oxides to
go with it. Polishing old, beat, overheated stainless can be difficult, at
least until you get down to clean metal. I've found that the Dico stainless
polish is relatively good at getting through that stuff without scratching
the steel, among the mechanical methods.

The only chemical I know of that eats it right off is hydrofluoric acid,
which is what welders use to clean stainless welds. Don't even think about
it unless your health insurance is very good. g

--
Ed Huntress



WHILE WE ARE ON THIS (TIMELY! SUBJECT, could you address
passivating(sp?) welded stainless?

There are a few (very few) welded parts I have to have done, and the
local welder, who does really pretty work, doesn't know the term.

Whazup?

Richard

"cavelamb himself" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:

No and yes. The method involves using a knife or a sharp chisel on the
spinning wheel. It's widely used by buffers in the plating business.
Don't do it. That sucker can flip and come right back at you. I have a
big framing chisel (called a "slick") that my great-grandfather used for
timber-framing houses. It has a two-handed handle and it's almost 3
inches wide. Unless you have one of those, you're asking for trouble.

I don't know the MAAS polish that a couple of people here have
recommended. If it works as well as some have said here in the past, I'd
give it a try. It sounds like it might be chemical because the hard part
about polishing really bad stainless is getting through the oxide layers.
Chromium oxide is harder than a witch's heart, and it can get pretty
tough on old pots and pans. If they've been overheated, you also pick up
some nasty iron oxides to go with it. Polishing old, beat, overheated
stainless can be difficult, at least until you get down to clean metal.
I've found that the Dico stainless polish is relatively good at getting
through that stuff without scratching the steel, among the mechanical
methods.

The only chemical I know of that eats it right off is hydrofluoric acid,
which is what welders use to clean stainless welds. Don't even think
about it unless your health insurance is very good. g

--
Ed Huntress

WHILE WE ARE ON THIS (TIMELY! SUBJECT, could you address
passivating(sp?) welded stainless?

Yes. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC. If there's any address
that needs passivating, that's it.


There are a few (very few) welded parts I have to have done, and the
local welder, who does really pretty work, doesn't know the term.

I'm going to pass on this for now, because the welders and other experts
probably will give you the lowdown. There is a paste of hydrofluoric acid
and something that's available from welding supply shops for small jobs, and
there are ways to do bigger jobs without killing yourself. I've also heard
of nitric acid being used but don't quote me. This is not my department.

--
Ed Huntress

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:57:09 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:03:19 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: wrote:
:
:snip
:
: :There is a way to strip almost all of the old compound off a wheel but I
: :don't discuss it in public, for the same reason I don't discuss lighting
: :charcoal fires with gasoline. d8-) It's a good way to put an eye out if
: you
: :aren't good at it.
:
: Guess you use a dangerously volatile solvent. I figure I'll stick with
: your method below, store in plastic bags.
:
:No and yes. The method involves using a knife or a sharp chisel on the
:spinning wheel. It's widely used by buffers in the plating business. Don't
:do it. That sucker can flip and come right back at you. I have a big framing
:chisel (called a "slick") that my great-grandfather used for timber-framing
:houses. It has a two-handed handle and it's almost 3 inches wide. Unless you
:have one of those, you're asking for trouble.
:
:I don't know the MAAS polish that a couple of people here have recommended.
:If it works as well as some have said here in the past, I'd give it a try.
:It sounds like it might be chemical because the hard part about polishing
:really bad stainless is getting through the oxide layers. Chromium oxide is
:harder than a witch's heart, and it can get pretty tough on old pots and
ans. If they've been overheated, you also pick up some nasty iron oxides to
:go with it. Polishing old, beat, overheated stainless can be difficult, at
:least until you get down to clean metal. I've found that the Dico stainless
olish is relatively good at getting through that stuff without scratching
:the steel, among the mechanical methods.
:
:The only chemical I know of that eats it right off is hydrofluoric acid,
:which is what welders use to clean stainless welds. Don't even think about
:it unless your health insurance is very good. g

I called Harbor Freight and they only have a kit with one bar, who knows
what it is.

I recalled an old quite large hardware store that I figured for
something. When I called a few days ago, asked if they have Dico, I was
told "no," and I took it for an answer. So, I call back today and ask
what they DO have (I figured they HAVE to have something!). A guy says
he doesn't know (read I'm too lazy to find out). I was persistent and he
finds out... He says they have a package of 4 tubes for different types
of metal. I ask him how much, he says $7.49, I ask what brand, he says
"Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll truck
on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
something shipped.

Dan

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:50:39 -0700, Dan_Musicant
wrote:

"Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll truck
on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
something shipped.

Or you can get a 2-1/2# bar of stainless compound from McMaster and
pass it down to your grandchildren - shipping will be $4 or so. It's
not Dico, but I wouldn't worry about that. There is some difference
between brands, but not enough to notice unless you're using an awful
lot of the stuff. I used to buy 30# at a time for building SS marine
hardware.

http://www.mcmaster.com/
4784A2
Buffing Bar Steel Cut & Color, Yellow, 8" L X 3" W X 2" H Bar
In stock at $10.33 Each

--
Ned Simmons

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:57:09 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:03:19 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: wrote:
:
:snip
:
: :There is a way to strip almost all of the old compound off a wheel but
I
: :don't discuss it in public, for the same reason I don't discuss
lighting
: :charcoal fires with gasoline. d8-) It's a good way to put an eye out
if
: you
: :aren't good at it.
:
: Guess you use a dangerously volatile solvent. I figure I'll stick with
: your method below, store in plastic bags.
:
:No and yes. The method involves using a knife or a sharp chisel on the
:spinning wheel. It's widely used by buffers in the plating business.
Don't
:do it. That sucker can flip and come right back at you. I have a big
framing
:chisel (called a "slick") that my great-grandfather used for
timber-framing
:houses. It has a two-handed handle and it's almost 3 inches wide. Unless
you
:have one of those, you're asking for trouble.
:
:I don't know the MAAS polish that a couple of people here have
recommended.
:If it works as well as some have said here in the past, I'd give it a
try.
:It sounds like it might be chemical because the hard part about polishing
:really bad stainless is getting through the oxide layers. Chromium oxide
is
:harder than a witch's heart, and it can get pretty tough on old pots and
ans. If they've been overheated, you also pick up some nasty iron oxides
to
:go with it. Polishing old, beat, overheated stainless can be difficult,
at
:least until you get down to clean metal. I've found that the Dico
stainless
olish is relatively good at getting through that stuff without
scratching
:the steel, among the mechanical methods.
:
:The only chemical I know of that eats it right off is hydrofluoric acid,
:which is what welders use to clean stainless welds. Don't even think
about
:it unless your health insurance is very good. g

I called Harbor Freight and they only have a kit with one bar, who knows
what it is.

I recalled an old quite large hardware store that I figured for
something. When I called a few days ago, asked if they have Dico, I was
told "no," and I took it for an answer. So, I call back today and ask
what they DO have (I figured they HAVE to have something!). A guy says
he doesn't know (read I'm too lazy to find out). I was persistent and he
finds out... He says they have a package of 4 tubes for different types
of metal. I ask him how much, he says $7.49, I ask what brand, he says
"Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll truck
on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
something shipped.

Jeez, I hate it when some lazy s.o.b. does that to save himself 30 seconds
and a few steps, in the process costing you maybe hours, dollars, and miles
driven. The retail business has gone to hell except for a few businesses
that know the value of treating customers right.

Aging fart's rant off Anyway, those tubes are filled with hard, wax-base
polishing agents, not liquid. I have two different size tubes of Dico
polishes, one set maybe 1" diameter that I bought 40 years ago, and a few
newer ones that I bought at various times over the last 10 years, which are
around 2" diameter. Their red rouge, which probably is in the package as
well, is the best I've ever used.

The way they're used is that you push the open end of the tube up against
your buffing wheel while it's spinning. You don't cut the carboard tube
back; let the wheel cut right into the cardboard. If you find that
aesthetically displeasing you can cut the cardboard back as you go, but
watch out, the wax melts quickly from the heat of friction and you can lose
a lot of your buffing compound.

I find the Dico stainless polish to be very good on all types of steel, as
long as it's pretty smooth to begin with. Although it's relatively
aggressive, it's too fine to polish through rust pits. I use the emery
compound for that first, then go to the stainless polish.

I hope it works as you expect. Good luck with it.

Oh, BTW: if you need a little bit in a liquid form, for hand polishing with
the rouge, for example, it dissolves easily with a wide variety of solvents.
Lighter fluid or paint thinner are as good as anything. If you have a heat
gun or a hair dryer you don't care about, I'll tell you how I use the
stainless polish for honing blades (everything from my German straight razor
to plane irons and quality pocket knives) after sharpening them on a hard
Arkansas stone. I can shave with my antique Casteel plane irons, but I don't
recommend doing it as a regular thing. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:05:25 -0500, Ned Simmons wrote:

:On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:50:39 -0700, Dan_Musicant
:wrote:
:
:"Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
:described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll truck
:on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
:something shipped.
:
:Or you can get a 2-1/2# bar of stainless compound from McMaster and
ass it down to your grandchildren - shipping will be $4 or so. It's
:not Dico, but I wouldn't worry about that. There is some difference
:between brands, but not enough to notice unless you're using an awful
:lot of the stuff. I used to buy 30# at a time for building SS marine
:hardware.
:
:http://www.mcmaster.com/
:4784A2
:Buffing Bar Steel Cut & Color, Yellow, 8" L X 3" W X 2" H Bar
:In stock at $10.33 Each

Sounds like (and looks like... I had a look) a real good deal. I just
bought a 3.5 oz stick of Dico Stainless Steel polishing compound, though
($4.10 + tax). I don't know how far this stuff goes. I may be needing
more compound sometime soon.


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

On Fri, 2 Nov 2007 15:25:58 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:57:09 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: wrote:
:
: :
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: : On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:03:19 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: : wrote:
: :
: :snip
: :
: : :There is a way to strip almost all of the old compound off a wheel but
: I
: : :don't discuss it in public, for the same reason I don't discuss
: lighting
: : :charcoal fires with gasoline. d8-) It's a good way to put an eye out
: if
: : you
: : :aren't good at it.
: :
: : Guess you use a dangerously volatile solvent. I figure I'll stick with
: : your method below, store in plastic bags.
: :
: :No and yes. The method involves using a knife or a sharp chisel on the
: :spinning wheel. It's widely used by buffers in the plating business.
: Don't
: :do it. That sucker can flip and come right back at you. I have a big
: framing
: :chisel (called a "slick") that my great-grandfather used for
: timber-framing
: :houses. It has a two-handed handle and it's almost 3 inches wide. Unless
: you
: :have one of those, you're asking for trouble.
: :
: :I don't know the MAAS polish that a couple of people here have
: recommended.
: :If it works as well as some have said here in the past, I'd give it a
: try.
: :It sounds like it might be chemical because the hard part about polishing
: :really bad stainless is getting through the oxide layers. Chromium oxide
: is
: :harder than a witch's heart, and it can get pretty tough on old pots and
: ans. If they've been overheated, you also pick up some nasty iron oxides
: to
: :go with it. Polishing old, beat, overheated stainless can be difficult,
: at
: :least until you get down to clean metal. I've found that the Dico
: stainless
: olish is relatively good at getting through that stuff without
: scratching
: :the steel, among the mechanical methods.
: :
: :The only chemical I know of that eats it right off is hydrofluoric acid,
: :which is what welders use to clean stainless welds. Don't even think
: about
: :it unless your health insurance is very good. g
:
: I called Harbor Freight and they only have a kit with one bar, who knows
: what it is.
:
: I recalled an old quite large hardware store that I figured for
: something. When I called a few days ago, asked if they have Dico, I was
: told "no," and I took it for an answer. So, I call back today and ask
: what they DO have (I figured they HAVE to have something!). A guy says
: he doesn't know (read I'm too lazy to find out). I was persistent and he
: finds out... He says they have a package of 4 tubes for different types
: of metal. I ask him how much, he says $7.49, I ask what brand, he says
: "Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
: described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll truck
: on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
: something shipped.
:
:Jeez, I hate it when some lazy s.o.b. does that to save himself 30 seconds
:and a few steps, in the process costing you maybe hours, dollars, and miles
:driven. The retail business has gone to hell except for a few businesses
:that know the value of treating customers right.

I figured I was going to go in there today and buy that 4 stick Dico
assortment, but decided to go the other direction on my bicycle first
and check out what I could find in the other direction. That inluded 2
large hardware emporiums (Orchard Supply and Home Depot), and the
machinist I spoke of. Couldn't find the machinist, gonna have to see if
I saved his address. Maybe they closed shop.

Then I had the idea to check out another big hardware place and voila,
they had Dico SS polishing compound in a 3.5 oz stick. They call it
"SCR." $4.10, seemed reasonable so I bought a stick. Then I went back to
Home Depot and bought a 6" firm cotton buffing wheel. I figure that
since my grinder (homemade) is relatively slow in RPM, I can use the
extra diameter of a 6" wheel over a 4". Maybe I can get by with that
wheel, or that and the 4" I already have with the brown tripoli embedded
(I think that's what's on it).

I figure if I want more buffing wheels I can pick them up here and
there. Harbor Freight had some, as I recall.

:
:Aging fart's rant off Anyway, those tubes are filled with hard, wax-base
olishing agents, not liquid. I have two different size tubes of Dico
olishes, one set maybe 1" diameter that I bought 40 years ago, and a few
:newer ones that I bought at various times over the last 10 years, which are
:around 2" diameter. Their red rouge, which probably is in the package as
:well, is the best I've ever used.
:
:The way they're used is that you push the open end of the tube up against
:your buffing wheel while it's spinning. You don't cut the carboard tube
:back; let the wheel cut right into the cardboard. If you find that
:aesthetically displeasing you can cut the cardboard back as you go, but
:watch out, the wax melts quickly from the heat of friction and you can lose
:a lot of your buffing compound.

I'm wondering how much of this Dico compound I want to put on the wheel.
Do you keep it absolutely saturated or do you just put on a modest
amount?
:
:I find the Dico stainless polish to be very good on all types of steel, as
:long as it's pretty smooth to begin with. Although it's relatively
:aggressive, it's too fine to polish through rust pits. I use the emery
:compound for that first, then go to the stainless polish.
:
:I hope it works as you expect. Good luck with it.

Thanks!
:
:Oh, BTW: if you need a little bit in a liquid form, for hand polishing with
:the rouge, for example, it dissolves easily with a wide variety of solvents.
:Lighter fluid or paint thinner are as good as anything. If you have a heat
:gun or a hair dryer you don't care about, I'll tell you how I use the
:stainless polish for honing blades (everything from my German straight razor
:to plane irons and quality pocket knives) after sharpening them on a hard
:Arkansas stone. I can shave with my antique Casteel plane irons, but I don't
:recommend doing it as a regular thing. d8-)

OK, what tips do you have???

I have a heat gun and a hair dryer too. You say "don't care about." Does
it mess them up? I don't dry my hair with the dryer. Principally I use
it to soften the glue of stickers on CD cases, that kind of thing,
before trying to peel them off.

The heat gun, well, paint removal, basically is what I do with it.

BTW, I saw something today in one of the hardware stores saying if you
heat up the work to 150 degrees, it keeps the compound softer and less
apt to chunk up. So, they say to use gloves to hold the work. Now, with
a pot I'd think it would be almost impossible to keep it that warm for
more than a few seconds because the metal is so thin. That is unless I
try something as weird as filling it with hot water and holding it above
the wheel. Seems cumbersome, and wonder if it's worth it to try that.
Don't know the whys and wherefores. First and only time I ever tried
using a buffing wheel and polishing compound on metal was a few days
ago. Before that I'd tried elbow grease, a rag and the same compound
sticks (made by Coastal), with no success at all! It was encouraging to
see that using an actual buffing wheel gets results.

Dan


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

On Fri, 2 Nov 2007 15:25:58 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .

I called Harbor Freight and they only have a kit with one bar, who knows
what it is.

Whatever grit dirt and color of crayons they find on the floor that
day? I like the Lee Valley green crayons for my strop. Good stuff,
Maynard. I haven't tried it on the buffer.


I recalled an old quite large hardware store that I figured for
something. When I called a few days ago, asked if they have Dico, I was
told "no," and I took it for an answer. So, I call back today and ask
what they DO have (I figured they HAVE to have something!). A guy says
he doesn't know (read I'm too lazy to find out). I was persistent and he
finds out... He says they have a package of 4 tubes for different types
of metal. I ask him how much, he says $7.49, I ask what brand, he says
"Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll truck
on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
something shipped.

Jeez, I hate it when some lazy s.o.b. does that to save himself 30 seconds
and a few steps, in the process costing you maybe hours, dollars, and miles
driven. The retail business has gone to hell except for a few businesses
that know the value of treating customers right.

My favorite is when they go look, take ten minutes to do so, and then
have forgotten to check the price when they finally do get back to
tell me that they did, indeed, have the product.


Aging fart's rant off Anyway, those tubes are filled with hard, wax-base
polishing agents, not liquid. I have two different size tubes of Dico
polishes, one set maybe 1" diameter that I bought 40 years ago, and a few
newer ones that I bought at various times over the last 10 years, which are
around 2" diameter. Their red rouge, which probably is in the package as
well, is the best I've ever used.

Those are buffing crayons, boys. Sheesh, why don't you get it right?



The way they're used is that you push the open end of the tube up against
your buffing wheel while it's spinning. You don't cut the carboard tube
back; let the wheel cut right into the cardboard. If you find that
aesthetically displeasing you can cut the cardboard back as you go, but
watch out, the wax melts quickly from the heat of friction and you can lose
a lot of your buffing compound.

Yeah, I learned to let it eat through like you're describing. I took
to wearing a dust mask (and buttoned-up collar) at the buffer, too.
Dem tings is messy!


I find the Dico stainless polish to be very good on all types of steel, as
long as it's pretty smooth to begin with. Although it's relatively
aggressive, it's too fine to polish through rust pits. I use the emery
compound for that first, then go to the stainless polish.

I hope it works as you expect. Good luck with it.

Oh, BTW: if you need a little bit in a liquid form, for hand polishing with
the rouge, for example, it dissolves easily with a wide variety of solvents.
Lighter fluid or paint thinner are as good as anything. If you have a heat
gun or a hair dryer you don't care about, I'll tell you how I use the
stainless polish for honing blades (everything from my German straight razor
to plane irons and quality pocket knives) after sharpening them on a hard
Arkansas stone. I can shave with my antique Casteel plane irons, but I don't
recommend doing it as a regular thing. d8-)

Shaving isn't a test of real plane iron sharpness, Ed. ScarySharp(tm)
is miles beyond that particular form of dullness.

--
Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used till they are seasoned.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:45:34 GMT, Dan_Musicant
wrote:

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:05:25 -0500, Ned Simmons wrote:

:
:http://www.mcmaster.com/
:4784A2
:Buffing Bar Steel Cut & Color, Yellow, 8" L X 3" W X 2" H Bar
:In stock at $10.33 Each

Sounds like (and looks like... I had a look) a real good deal. I just
bought a 3.5 oz stick of Dico Stainless Steel polishing compound, though
($4.10 + tax). I don't know how far this stuff goes. I may be needing
more compound sometime soon.

It goes a long way. I wasn't exaggerating much when I said there'd be
something left of a 2-1/2# bar for your heirs.

If you're working on relatively flat surfaces, the stainless compound
will work best on a hard buff. See the spiral sewn buffs near the top
of McMaster p.2610.

Be careful about snagging the pieces you're polishing with the buff or
it'll launch them at high velocity. Always work so that if the work
*does* get snagged it gets thrown down and away from you. Even with
experienced operators, the drywall behind my big 7-1/2 HP buffer was
full of holes.

--
Ned Simmons

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Nov 2007 15:25:58 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
.. .
: On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:57:09 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: wrote:
:
: :
: :"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
: .. .
: : On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:03:19 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
: : wrote:
: :
: :snip
: :
: : :There is a way to strip almost all of the old compound off a wheel
but
: I
: : :don't discuss it in public, for the same reason I don't discuss
: lighting
: : :charcoal fires with gasoline. d8-) It's a good way to put an eye
out
: if
: : you
: : :aren't good at it.
: :
: : Guess you use a dangerously volatile solvent. I figure I'll stick
with
: : your method below, store in plastic bags.
: :
: :No and yes. The method involves using a knife or a sharp chisel on the
: :spinning wheel. It's widely used by buffers in the plating business.
: Don't
: :do it. That sucker can flip and come right back at you. I have a big
: framing
: :chisel (called a "slick") that my great-grandfather used for
: timber-framing
: :houses. It has a two-handed handle and it's almost 3 inches wide.
Unless
: you
: :have one of those, you're asking for trouble.
: :
: :I don't know the MAAS polish that a couple of people here have
: recommended.
: :If it works as well as some have said here in the past, I'd give it a
: try.
: :It sounds like it might be chemical because the hard part about
polishing
: :really bad stainless is getting through the oxide layers. Chromium
oxide
: is
: :harder than a witch's heart, and it can get pretty tough on old pots
and
: ans. If they've been overheated, you also pick up some nasty iron
oxides
: to
: :go with it. Polishing old, beat, overheated stainless can be
difficult,
: at
: :least until you get down to clean metal. I've found that the Dico
: stainless
: olish is relatively good at getting through that stuff without
: scratching
: :the steel, among the mechanical methods.
: :
: :The only chemical I know of that eats it right off is hydrofluoric
acid,
: :which is what welders use to clean stainless welds. Don't even think
: about
: :it unless your health insurance is very good. g
:
: I called Harbor Freight and they only have a kit with one bar, who
knows
: what it is.
:
: I recalled an old quite large hardware store that I figured for
: something. When I called a few days ago, asked if they have Dico, I was
: told "no," and I took it for an answer. So, I call back today and ask
: what they DO have (I figured they HAVE to have something!). A guy says
: he doesn't know (read I'm too lazy to find out). I was persistent and
he
: finds out... He says they have a package of 4 tubes for different types
: of metal. I ask him how much, he says $7.49, I ask what brand, he says
: "Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
: described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll
truck
: on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
: something shipped.
:
:Jeez, I hate it when some lazy s.o.b. does that to save himself 30
seconds
:and a few steps, in the process costing you maybe hours, dollars, and
miles
:driven. The retail business has gone to hell except for a few businesses
:that know the value of treating customers right.

I figured I was going to go in there today and buy that 4 stick Dico
assortment, but decided to go the other direction on my bicycle first
and check out what I could find in the other direction. That inluded 2
large hardware emporiums (Orchard Supply and Home Depot), and the
machinist I spoke of. Couldn't find the machinist, gonna have to see if
I saved his address. Maybe they closed shop.

Then I had the idea to check out another big hardware place and voila,
they had Dico SS polishing compound in a 3.5 oz stick. They call it
"SCR." $4.10, seemed reasonable so I bought a stick. Then I went back to
Home Depot and bought a 6" firm cotton buffing wheel. I figure that
since my grinder (homemade) is relatively slow in RPM, I can use the
extra diameter of a 6" wheel over a 4". Maybe I can get by with that
wheel, or that and the 4" I already have with the brown tripoli embedded
(I think that's what's on it).

I figure if I want more buffing wheels I can pick them up here and
there. Harbor Freight had some, as I recall.

:
:Aging fart's rant off Anyway, those tubes are filled with hard,
wax-base
olishing agents, not liquid. I have two different size tubes of Dico
olishes, one set maybe 1" diameter that I bought 40 years ago, and a few
:newer ones that I bought at various times over the last 10 years, which
are
:around 2" diameter. Their red rouge, which probably is in the package as
:well, is the best I've ever used.
:
:The way they're used is that you push the open end of the tube up against
:your buffing wheel while it's spinning. You don't cut the carboard tube
:back; let the wheel cut right into the cardboard. If you find that
:aesthetically displeasing you can cut the cardboard back as you go, but
:watch out, the wax melts quickly from the heat of friction and you can
lose
:a lot of your buffing compound.

I'm wondering how much of this Dico compound I want to put on the wheel.
Do you keep it absolutely saturated or do you just put on a modest
amount?

It doesn't take a lot. If you put too much on it will just fly off when you
spin the wheel. You'll get a sense of how much to put on after you've tried
it a couple of times.

BTW, the flying dust is nasty stuff, with all compounds. Wear a dust mask
when you're polishing.

:
:I find the Dico stainless polish to be very good on all types of steel,
as
:long as it's pretty smooth to begin with. Although it's relatively
:aggressive, it's too fine to polish through rust pits. I use the emery
:compound for that first, then go to the stainless polish.
:
:I hope it works as you expect. Good luck with it.

Thanks!
:
:Oh, BTW: if you need a little bit in a liquid form, for hand polishing
with
:the rouge, for example, it dissolves easily with a wide variety of
solvents.
:Lighter fluid or paint thinner are as good as anything. If you have a
heat
:gun or a hair dryer you don't care about, I'll tell you how I use the
:stainless polish for honing blades (everything from my German straight
razor
:to plane irons and quality pocket knives) after sharpening them on a hard
:Arkansas stone. I can shave with my antique Casteel plane irons, but I
don't
:recommend doing it as a regular thing. d8-)

OK, what tips do you have???

You just put some on a firm surface and pull the blade across, like a barber
strops a razor. My favorite surface is tempered (hard) Masonite. Smooth
cardboard, like oaktag, works well but doesn't last as long.

The heat is for applying the compound. Use a heat gun or an old hair dryer
to get it very warm, then rub the stick on the surface. If you do it cold it
will go on unevenly, if you try to get much on there. You also can put a few
drops of solvent on the stick and then rub it on the surface, but heat works
better. Heat the surface after applying the compound and smooth it out with
a paper towel or a rag. I charge mine once every year or two. That's all it
takes.

The Dico SCR compound strops very quickly and leaves a polished edge. I also
use it to charge the canvas side of my razor strop. I use rouge or nothing
on the leather side, but that's really just for turning the edge.


I have a heat gun and a hair dryer too. You say "don't care about." Does
it mess them up? I don't dry my hair with the dryer. Principally I use
it to soften the glue of stickers on CD cases, that kind of thing,
before trying to peel them off.

It won't hurt the hair dryer but you may have to heat a piece of Masonite
for a while to get it hot enough. The heat gun is much faster.

The heat gun, well, paint removal, basically is what I do with it.

BTW, I saw something today in one of the hardware stores saying if you
heat up the work to 150 degrees, it keeps the compound softer and less
apt to chunk up. So, they say to use gloves to hold the work.

I've never heard about warming the work but I'll try it sometime. As for
gloves, buffing is one of the few applications around a grinding machine
where most people recommend wearing them. I usually do but I'm damned
careful not to get the gloves caught in the wheel.

Now, with
a pot I'd think it would be almost impossible to keep it that warm for
more than a few seconds because the metal is so thin. That is unless I
try something as weird as filling it with hot water and holding it above
the wheel. Seems cumbersome, and wonder if it's worth it to try that.
Don't know the whys and wherefores.

Eh, I'd just try it cold. That's all I've ever done. But the work does warm
up a lot as you're buffing.

First and only time I ever tried
using a buffing wheel and polishing compound on metal was a few days
ago. Before that I'd tried elbow grease, a rag and the same compound
sticks (made by Coastal), with no success at all! It was encouraging to
see that using an actual buffing wheel gets results.

Yeah, applying it with power makes a big difference. I polish by hand
sometimes, but not on tough jobs. BTW, I have a set of Coastal compounds but
I don't think very much of them. They're too crumbly.

--
Ed Huntress

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:53:36 -0500, Ned Simmons
wrote:

Be careful about snagging the pieces you're polishing with the buff or
it'll launch them at high velocity. Always work so that if the work
*does* get snagged it gets thrown down and away from you. Even with
experienced operators, the drywall behind my big 7-1/2 HP buffer was
full of holes.

If you repeat the set-up and want to save the drywall (and avoid
damaging the pieces being buffed and flung) you might want to hang a
big hunk of cargo net or carpet a foot or two out from the wall as a
backstop... ;-)

-- Bruce --

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Nov 2007 15:25:58 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
. ..

I called Harbor Freight and they only have a kit with one bar, who knows
what it is.

Whatever grit dirt and color of crayons they find on the floor that
day? I like the Lee Valley green crayons for my strop. Good stuff,
Maynard. I haven't tried it on the buffer.


I recalled an old quite large hardware store that I figured for
something. When I called a few days ago, asked if they have Dico, I was
told "no," and I took it for an answer. So, I call back today and ask
what they DO have (I figured they HAVE to have something!). A guy says
he doesn't know (read I'm too lazy to find out). I was persistent and he
finds out... He says they have a package of 4 tubes for different types
of metal. I ask him how much, he says $7.49, I ask what brand, he says
"Dico!" Bingo. One of the tubes is for stainless and from what he
described I figure it for 2-3 liquid ounces per tube. I guess I'll truck
on over there today and pick it up. I suppose it's cheaper than getting
something shipped.

Jeez, I hate it when some lazy s.o.b. does that to save himself 30 seconds
and a few steps, in the process costing you maybe hours, dollars, and
miles
driven. The retail business has gone to hell except for a few businesses
that know the value of treating customers right.

My favorite is when they go look, take ten minutes to do so, and then
have forgotten to check the price when they finally do get back to
tell me that they did, indeed, have the product.


Aging fart's rant off Anyway, those tubes are filled with hard, wax-base
polishing agents, not liquid. I have two different size tubes of Dico
polishes, one set maybe 1" diameter that I bought 40 years ago, and a few
newer ones that I bought at various times over the last 10 years, which
are
around 2" diameter. Their red rouge, which probably is in the package as
well, is the best I've ever used.

Those are buffing crayons, boys. Sheesh, why don't you get it right?



The way they're used is that you push the open end of the tube up against
your buffing wheel while it's spinning. You don't cut the carboard tube
back; let the wheel cut right into the cardboard. If you find that
aesthetically displeasing you can cut the cardboard back as you go, but
watch out, the wax melts quickly from the heat of friction and you can
lose
a lot of your buffing compound.

Yeah, I learned to let it eat through like you're describing. I took
to wearing a dust mask (and buttoned-up collar) at the buffer, too.
Dem tings is messy!

And not nice on your lungs, I hear. Of course, safety glasses should go
without saying.



I find the Dico stainless polish to be very good on all types of steel, as
long as it's pretty smooth to begin with. Although it's relatively
aggressive, it's too fine to polish through rust pits. I use the emery
compound for that first, then go to the stainless polish.

I hope it works as you expect. Good luck with it.

Oh, BTW: if you need a little bit in a liquid form, for hand polishing
with
the rouge, for example, it dissolves easily with a wide variety of
solvents.
Lighter fluid or paint thinner are as good as anything. If you have a heat
gun or a hair dryer you don't care about, I'll tell you how I use the
stainless polish for honing blades (everything from my German straight
razor
to plane irons and quality pocket knives) after sharpening them on a hard
Arkansas stone. I can shave with my antique Casteel plane irons, but I
don't
recommend doing it as a regular thing. d8-)

Shaving isn't a test of real plane iron sharpness, Ed. ScarySharp(tm)
is miles beyond that particular form of dullness.

Tell us about ScarySharp. I could use a good scare.

BTW, I made the mistake of using that stropping treatment on one of my
fillet knives when I was younger and foolisher. It was so sharp I couldn't
skin a fish with it. The blade went right through the skin, no matter how
well you tried to control the blade.

--
Ed Huntress

On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:51:45 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .

Yeah, I learned to let it eat through like you're describing. I took
to wearing a dust mask (and buttoned-up collar) at the buffer, too.
Dem tings is messy!

And not nice on your lungs, I hear. Of course, safety glasses should go
without saying.

Right. Goggles or face shield over my glasses.



Oh, BTW: if you need a little bit in a liquid form, for hand polishing
with
the rouge, for example, it dissolves easily with a wide variety of
solvents.
Lighter fluid or paint thinner are as good as anything. If you have a heat
gun or a hair dryer you don't care about, I'll tell you how I use the
stainless polish for honing blades (everything from my German straight

Oh, I missed this tip the first time through. That's good to know.


Shaving isn't a test of real plane iron sharpness, Ed. ScarySharp(tm)
is miles beyond that particular form of dullness.

Tell us about ScarySharp. I could use a good scare.

http://www.shavings.net/SCARY.HTM Long Live Steve LaMantia!
Blades so sharp you have to be careful how you move them through the
air for fear of splitting atoms with 'em! chortle


BTW, I made the mistake of using that stropping treatment on one of my
fillet knives when I was younger and foolisher. It was so sharp I couldn't
skin a fish with it. The blade went right through the skin, no matter how
well you tried to control the blade.

Hah! Cut some paper with it and it'll dull quickly.

--
************************************************** *********
"Boy, I feel safer now that Martha Stewart is behind bars!
O.J. is walking around free, Osama Bin Laden too, but they
take the one woman in America willing to cook and clean
and work in the yard and haul her ass to jail."
--Tim Allen
************************************************** *********

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:53:36 -0500, Ned Simmons wrote:

:On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:45:34 GMT, Dan_Musicant
:wrote:
:
:On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:05:25 -0500, Ned Simmons wrote:
:
::
::http://www.mcmaster.com/
::4784A2
::Buffing Bar Steel Cut & Color, Yellow, 8" L X 3" W X 2" H Bar
::In stock at $10.33 Each
:
:Sounds like (and looks like... I had a look) a real good deal. I just
:bought a 3.5 oz stick of Dico Stainless Steel polishing compound, though
:($4.10 + tax). I don't know how far this stuff goes. I may be needing
:more compound sometime soon.
:
:It goes a long way. I wasn't exaggerating much when I said there'd be
:something left of a 2-1/2# bar for your heirs.

Yeah, I read that twice and figured you were being serious. So... how
long will a 3.5 oz stick last? Maybe I'll just order the McMaster 2.5#er
now while it's up there...
:
:If you're working on relatively flat surfaces, the stainless compound
:will work best on a hard buff. See the spiral sewn buffs near the top
f McMaster p.2610.

Well, I don't know what I'll be working on eventually but right now I'm
working on two SS pots, small bulbous (see OP). IOW, not flat surfaces.
The buff I bought yesterday was branded Ryobi at Home Depot, is 6 inch,
and the label says it's for coarse buffing. It's sewn with close spirals
all the way up the sides. I figured a tough close-sewn buff would act
not so differently than the one with only one or two concentric rings of
stitching and would last a lot longer. The one buff I used (a few days
ago) splayed considerably as I was trying to apply the pressure needed
to remove the tough coating on the small stove coffee pot I was trying
to clean.

I'm even thinking of making homemade plywood flanges to put on the sides
of this 6" buff to give it serious stiffness so I can apply pressure
without deforming the buff. I could make ~5" flanges easily enough.
:
:Be careful about snagging the pieces you're polishing with the buff or
:it'll launch them at high velocity. Always work so that if the work
:*does* get snagged it gets thrown down and away from you. Even with
:experienced operators, the drywall behind my big 7-1/2 HP buffer was
:full of holes.

Yep on the watchit for snagging. Well, for one thing my buffer is made
from a dryer motor, 5.8 amps and 1725 RPM. I'm less apt to have that
problem. I'll keep this in mind, though. A few years ago I thought the
motor had become irreparable and I shopped grinders and they were around
3600 RPM. However, I was able to fix the darn thing. I have to spin
the wheel a bit with my hand before turning it on for it to spin up
reliably, but it keeps chugging along.

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:13:26 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:You just put some on a firm surface and pull the blade across, like a barber
:strops a razor. My favorite surface is tempered (hard) Masonite. Smooth
:cardboard, like oaktag, works well but doesn't last as long.

I have some masonite. I'll work up a strop.
:
:The heat is for applying the compound. Use a heat gun or an old hair dryer
:to get it very warm, then rub the stick on the surface. If you do it cold it
:will go on unevenly, if you try to get much on there. You also can put a few
:drops of solvent on the stick and then rub it on the surface, but heat works
:better. Heat the surface after applying the compound and smooth it out with
:a paper towel or a rag.

: I charge mine once every year or two. That's all it
:takes.

Once a year... you're talking about your masonite strop or your buffing
wheel?

How much to you put on a buffing wheel and how often do you reapply? The
other day I put on more and more in hopes that I'd get more progress in
cutting through the tough coat on this SS pot. Right now, the wheel edge
is pretty darn saturated with brown tripoli compound. It's a pretty soft
4" wheel.

:The Dico SCR compound strops very quickly and leaves a polished edge. I also
:use it to charge the canvas side of my razor strop. I use rouge or nothing
n the leather side, but that's really just for turning the edge.
:
:
: I have a heat gun and a hair dryer too. You say "don't care about." Does
: it mess them up? I don't dry my hair with the dryer. Principally I use
: it to soften the glue of stickers on CD cases, that kind of thing,
: before trying to peel them off.
:
:It won't hurt the hair dryer but you may have to heat a piece of Masonite
:for a while to get it hot enough. The heat gun is much faster.
:
: The heat gun, well, paint removal, basically is what I do with it.
:
: BTW, I saw something today in one of the hardware stores saying if you
: heat up the work to 150 degrees, it keeps the compound softer and less
: apt to chunk up. So, they say to use gloves to hold the work.
:
:I've never heard about warming the work but I'll try it sometime. As for
:gloves, buffing is one of the few applications around a grinding machine
:where most people recommend wearing them. I usually do but I'm damned
:careful not to get the gloves caught in the wheel.
:
: Now, with
: a pot I'd think it would be almost impossible to keep it that warm for
: more than a few seconds because the metal is so thin. That is unless I
: try something as weird as filling it with hot water and holding it above
: the wheel. Seems cumbersome, and wonder if it's worth it to try that.
: Don't know the whys and wherefores.
:
:Eh, I'd just try it cold. That's all I've ever done. But the work does warm
:up a lot as you're buffing.

I figured the friction would heat it considerably.
:
: First and only time I ever tried
: using a buffing wheel and polishing compound on metal was a few days
: ago. Before that I'd tried elbow grease, a rag and the same compound
: sticks (made by Coastal), with no success at all! It was encouraging to
: see that using an actual buffing wheel gets results.
:
:Yeah, applying it with power makes a big difference. I polish by hand
:sometimes, but not on tough jobs. BTW, I have a set of Coastal compounds but
:I don't think very much of them. They're too crumbly.

I've had them for probably 25 years, maybe more. They were cheap and I
was interested but didn't really know what to do with them.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I'll keep them for reference.

Dan


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:51:45 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
. ..

snip

Shaving isn't a test of real plane iron sharpness, Ed. ScarySharp(tm)
is miles beyond that particular form of dullness.

Tell us about ScarySharp. I could use a good scare.

http://www.shavings.net/SCARY.HTM Long Live Steve LaMantia!
Blades so sharp you have to be careful how you move them through the
air for fear of splitting atoms with 'em! chortle

Aha. OK, not to steal any of Steve's thunder, but that method was published
at least 25 years ago, maybe in _Fine Woodworking_, without the glueing-down
of the sheets. That makes it all a bigger job than it has to be. And I have
a pack of 2000-grit wet-dry sheets on my shelf that I use for precisely
that, and have, for those 25+ years.

I don't dispute that it produces a great edge. I don't think it's any
different from the one you get using buffing compound to strop the edge.
Sometimes I use one method, sometimes the other.

--
Ed Huntress

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:13:26 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:You just put some on a firm surface and pull the blade across, like a
barber
:strops a razor. My favorite surface is tempered (hard) Masonite. Smooth
:cardboard, like oaktag, works well but doesn't last as long.

I have some masonite. I'll work up a strop.
:
:The heat is for applying the compound. Use a heat gun or an old hair
dryer
:to get it very warm, then rub the stick on the surface. If you do it cold
it
:will go on unevenly, if you try to get much on there. You also can put a
few
:drops of solvent on the stick and then rub it on the surface, but heat
works
:better. Heat the surface after applying the compound and smooth it out
with
:a paper towel or a rag.

: I charge mine once every year or two. That's all it
:takes.

Once a year... you're talking about your masonite strop or your buffing
wheel?

I'm talking about the masonite strop.


How much to you put on a buffing wheel and how often do you reapply? The
other day I put on more and more in hopes that I'd get more progress in
cutting through the tough coat on this SS pot. Right now, the wheel edge
is pretty darn saturated with brown tripoli compound. It's a pretty soft
4" wheel.

Jeez, how can I measure that? I just put it on until it's enough. d8-) It
doesn't take a lot. Maybe someone else here has a way to explain it.
Sometimes you have to re-charge the wheel in the middle of a job, if the
work is rough or has edges that keep stripping the compound off the wheel.
Usually, though, I charge it every second or third time I use it. Emery
seems to wear off fast. Rouge lasts a long time. It's something I just do by
feel.

snip

--
Ed Huntress

On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:51:45 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:And not nice on your lungs, I hear. Of course, safety glasses should go
:without saying.
:
The other day when I spent 1/2 hour to 45 minutes doing my first powered
buff, I had the idea that the air was getting kinda foul. Will any sort
of dust mask work? I have an assortment. Suppose I should use my safety
goggles, too!

:Tell us about ScarySharp. I could use a good scare.

Well, in the interests of providing a warning so you don't do what I
did, Ill tell my little story. For many years (maybe around 20) I've
carried a mini Buck knife in my pocket. Looking at it now, it says 426-1
on the blade. I keep it pretty sharp, usually. I was helping out at a
shop and had to remove a wood plug and I jammed this knife into the plug
in an effort to remove it. I applied quite a bit of force, and the
damned blade buckled in spite of the lock mechanism (I didn't touch the
release), and it caught the top of my right index finger just behind the
first knuckle. It went deep, maybe all the way to the bone.

Here's a picture of the knife, my bandaged finger and a blood soaked
bandage I'd just replaced:

http://fox302.com/index.pl?s=vf&user...kedbandage.jpg

The finger healed OK (without stitches), but it still hurts some. It's
been almost a year, but sometimes nerves are slow to heal.


:
:BTW, I made the mistake of using that stropping treatment on one of my
:fillet knives when I was younger and foolisher. It was so sharp I couldn't
:skin a fish with it. The blade went right through the skin, no matter how
:well you tried to control the blade.

Well, it's a lot easier to dull a knife than sharpen it, right? I
suppose that's why you didn't dull it to filet your fish, actually.

Dan


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:51:45 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:And not nice on your lungs, I hear. Of course, safety glasses should go
:without saying.
:
The other day when I spent 1/2 hour to 45 minutes doing my first powered
buff, I had the idea that the air was getting kinda foul. Will any sort
of dust mask work? I have an assortment. Suppose I should use my safety
goggles, too!

Goggles good. Dust foul. I use cheap dust masks that I buy 50 in a pack.


:Tell us about ScarySharp. I could use a good scare.

Well, in the interests of providing a warning so you don't do what I
did, Ill tell my little story. For many years (maybe around 20) I've
carried a mini Buck knife in my pocket. Looking at it now, it says 426-1
on the blade. I keep it pretty sharp, usually. I was helping out at a
shop and had to remove a wood plug and I jammed this knife into the plug
in an effort to remove it. I applied quite a bit of force, and the
damned blade buckled in spite of the lock mechanism (I didn't touch the
release), and it caught the top of my right index finger just behind the
first knuckle. It went deep, maybe all the way to the bone.

Here's a picture of the knife, my bandaged finger and a blood soaked
bandage I'd just replaced:

http://fox302.com/index.pl?s=vf&user...kedbandage.jpg

The finger healed OK (without stitches), but it still hurts some. It's
been almost a year, but sometimes nerves are slow to heal.

Aack! I get chills just seeing things like that.

:BTW, I made the mistake of using that stropping treatment on one of my
:fillet knives when I was younger and foolisher. It was so sharp I
couldn't
:skin a fish with it. The blade went right through the skin, no matter how
:well you tried to control the blade.

Well, it's a lot easier to dull a knife than sharpen it, right? I
suppose that's why you didn't dull it to filet your fish, actually.

Yes, dulling is easy. d8-) I have one small Rapala fillet knife I keep that
sharp these days, and it has just two purposes in life. One is to cut out
the red lateral streaks in bluefish fillets, and to shave off the layer of
fat under the skin, if it has a layer of fat. The other is to cut out the
Y-shaped lateral bones in a pickerel. Otherwise, I don't use it to cut
through bone or scales (I probably have 10 fillet knives). And definitely
not to skin a fish.

--
Ed Huntress

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:24:15 -0700, Bruce L. Bergman
wrote:

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:53:36 -0500, Ned Simmons
wrote:

Be careful about snagging the pieces you're polishing with the buff or
it'll launch them at high velocity. Always work so that if the work
*does* get snagged it gets thrown down and away from you. Even with
experienced operators, the drywall behind my big 7-1/2 HP buffer was
full of holes.

If you repeat the set-up and want to save the drywall (and avoid
damaging the pieces being buffed and flung) you might want to hang a
big hunk of cargo net or carpet a foot or two out from the wall as a
backstop... ;-)

Great idea, I thought cushioning the flying workpieces was the
function of the fiberglass insulation. g

But I hope never to have to worry about it again, at least not on a
daily basis. I've been out of the marine hardware business for over 20
years and don't miss it a bit, though I am proud to know that the
company I started is still running and employing a dozen or so people.

http://nautilus-marine.com/about.html

--
Ned Simmons

On Sat, 03 Nov 2007 12:26:40 GMT, Dan_Musicant
wrote:

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:53:36 -0500, Ned Simmons wrote:



Well, I don't know what I'll be working on eventually but right now I'm
working on two SS pots, small bulbous (see OP). IOW, not flat surfaces.
The buff I bought yesterday was branded Ryobi at Home Depot, is 6 inch,
and the label says it's for coarse buffing. It's sewn with close spirals
all the way up the sides. I figured a tough close-sewn buff would act
not so differently than the one with only one or two concentric rings of
stitching and would last a lot longer. The one buff I used (a few days
ago) splayed considerably as I was trying to apply the pressure needed
to remove the tough coating on the small stove coffee pot I was trying
to clean.

The sewn buff sounds appropriate - you might want to try stacking up 2
or 3 to get a width of 3/4" or so. That'll give you more coverage and
stiffen things up a bit more.


I'm even thinking of making homemade plywood flanges to put on the sides
of this 6" buff to give it serious stiffness so I can apply pressure
without deforming the buff. I could make ~5" flanges easily enough.

That works, too, especially if you need a narrow buff to get into
tight spots.

:
:Be careful about snagging the pieces you're polishing with the buff or
:it'll launch them at high velocity. Always work so that if the work
:*does* get snagged it gets thrown down and away from you. Even with
:experienced operators, the drywall behind my big 7-1/2 HP buffer was
:full of holes.

Yep on the watchit for snagging. Well, for one thing my buffer is made
from a dryer motor, 5.8 amps and 1725 RPM. I'm less apt to have that
problem.

I thinks it's more a function of the inertia of the motor and wheels
than the HP available. I've been scared just as badly by a 1/2 HP 3600
RPM buffer as by the 7-1/2 HP 1800 RPM machine, which is not too
surprising when you consider that the kinetic energy of a mass is
proportional to the square of the velocity.

This machine is very similar to my old Hammond.
http://www.usedequip.com/q/showdlist...08760,20110664,,,,

--
Ned Simmons

On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 10:03:17 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:51:45 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:And not nice on your lungs, I hear. Of course, safety glasses should go
:without saying.
:
The other day when I spent 1/2 hour to 45 minutes doing my first powered
buff, I had the idea that the air was getting kinda foul. Will any sort
of dust mask work? I have an assortment. Suppose I should use my safety
goggles, too!

Goggles good. Dust foul. I use cheap dust masks that I buy 50 in a pack.

I can't wear those because I can't get them to seal worth a ****. I
buy the $2 Wally World masks with the valve and sometimes use an extra
strip of soft foam to seal my nose so it doesn't fog up my glasses.
(if goggles aren't being used.) They can be reused for a month +.


Here's a picture of the knife, my bandaged finger and a blood soaked
bandage I'd just replaced:

http://fox302.com/index.pl?s=vf&user...kedbandage.jpg

The finger healed OK (without stitches), but it still hurts some. It's
been almost a year, but sometimes nerves are slow to heal.

Ouch!


Aack! I get chills just seeing things like that.

A couple decades ago, I hadn't yet sharpened Mom's knife for her and
was cutting up some beef for stew one time. It caught some gristle and
pulled my thumb into the line of fire. It cut halfway through my nail
and thumb, widthwise, and stopped. I felt somethign funny and looked
down, then started laughing. Mom almost fainted. I soaped up and
rinsed it out well, then butterfly bandaged it, changing it and using
triple antibiotic (aka Magic Medicine) on it for a few days. After a
couple weeks, I almost forgot I'd been bitten. Some people would have
freaked out and spent a couple grand at the hospital. I used common
sense and a buck in bandaids to accomplish the same thing. I get
chills just seeing hospital bills. So there.

--
************************************************** *********
"Boy, I feel safer now that Martha Stewart is behind bars!
O.J. is walking around free, Osama Bin Laden too, but they
take the one woman in America willing to cook and clean
and work in the yard and haul her ass to jail."
--Tim Allen
************************************************** *********

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 10:03:17 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:51:45 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

:
:And not nice on your lungs, I hear. Of course, safety glasses should go
:without saying.
:
The other day when I spent 1/2 hour to 45 minutes doing my first powered
buff, I had the idea that the air was getting kinda foul. Will any sort
of dust mask work? I have an assortment. Suppose I should use my safety
goggles, too!

Goggles good. Dust foul. I use cheap dust masks that I buy 50 in a pack.

I can't wear those because I can't get them to seal worth a ****. I
buy the $2 Wally World masks with the valve and sometimes use an extra
strip of soft foam to seal my nose so it doesn't fog up my glasses.
(if goggles aren't being used.) They can be reused for a month +.

I have a nice nose. All the girls used to say so. d8-)
i


Here's a picture of the knife, my bandaged finger and a blood soaked
bandage I'd just replaced:

http://fox302.com/index.pl?s=vf&user...kedbandage.jpg

The finger healed OK (without stitches), but it still hurts some. It's
been almost a year, but sometimes nerves are slow to heal.

Ouch!


Aack! I get chills just seeing things like that.

A couple decades ago, I hadn't yet sharpened Mom's knife for her and
was cutting up some beef for stew one time. It caught some gristle and
pulled my thumb into the line of fire. It cut halfway through my nail
and thumb, widthwise, and stopped. I felt somethign funny and looked
down, then started laughing. Mom almost fainted. I soaped up and
rinsed it out well, then butterfly bandaged it, changing it and using
triple antibiotic (aka Magic Medicine) on it for a few days. After a
couple weeks, I almost forgot I'd been bitten. Some people would have
freaked out and spent a couple grand at the hospital. I used common
sense and a buck in bandaids to accomplish the same thing. I get
chills just seeing hospital bills. So there.

Speaking of which, did I tell you how much the bills were for the heart
attack I had earlier this year? It was two hospitals in one day, then two
days recovering in the second one, and then back two weeks later for a few
more stents and two days in a room. Total bill: $220,000.

Damn, I wish I got an hourly rate like that.

--
Ed Huntress